STATEN ISLAND, N.Y. -- When I used to think back to lunch time, my memories were generally distasteful. I would immediately picture plastic Barbie lunch boxes, school cafeteria trays or boring brown bags I toted from home filled with a sandwich or some sort of weird leftover.

I also remember going through a period when I wouldn’t eat lunch — or breakfast — at all, choosing instead to sip on a Coke and nibble three Hershey kisses. OK, I admit, horrifically unhealthy — but then I was in my early 20s. Who among us doesn’t make bad food choices at that age?

I know the Coke and kisses sound absurd, but the lunches my mother used to pack me were the most bizarre. While most kids opened their satchels to peanut butter and jelly, bologna or sliced deli ham, my mother would lop off a large chunk of meat from dinner the night before and throw it between two slices of bread. I felt like Fred and Wilma eating a brontosaurus burger, compared to my classmates. Or, she might throw in something like a hard-boiled egg and leftover chicken livers with crackers. Try explaining what that was to your teen-age tablemates. Always unappetizing and worthy of many curious stares.

Buying school lunches was dicey though. You could count on a wilted hot dog and corn on Monday; a burger on Thursday and fish on Friday. But, Tuesday and Wednesday brought menus built around Salisbury steak in gray gravy and occasionally some sort of pasta, which did not sing of Italy. Awful.

So for a while, the thought of lunching was a pretty big turn off. Even when I returned to the work force full-time, whatever I brought from home wasn’t enough; whatever I ordered in was always too much. I don’t face these issues at home on the weekends. Why on the other five days?

Obviously, people have profound memories of food and love it now, as well.

How do you approach lunch? Is a healthy granola bar enough for you? A handful of almonds and a piece of fruit? Do you stop at some of those popular hot dog trucks along the side of the road? Do you hit the drive-thru of your favorite fast-food place? Or do you leave yourself enough time in the morning to fill a brown bag?

Do you chow down in the car, eat at your desk or take a few moments to share your food and some conversation with office friends? How does lunch factor into your day?

Recently, I’ve discovered that I actually do like lunch -- when I eat out on a weekend. For the longest time, it was all about dinner plans. But these days, with my kids grown and making their own social arrangements, I find that whiling away a couple of daylight hours at a two-top or at the bar, is just what the doctor ordered.

It’s warmer to go out during the day, and you don’t feel the pressure to rush through a meal. No reservations necessary. You just show up if you’re in the mood. There are usually plenty of seats.

View full sizeKarl's Klipper, at 40 Bay St. in St. George, offers a special brunch menu on Saturday and Sunday that includes unlimited house beer selections, house wine, bloody Marys and more, along with a hearty choice of dishes -- all for a reasonable price.Staten Island Advance

Karl’s Klipper in St. George is a go-to spot because we can walk there in five minutes — and yes, by now, I think everybody knows our names. We just tried Lacey’s Bridge Tavern in Elm Park, perching on bar stools as we made our way through a platter of hot Italian antipasto on a sunny afternoon.

Tottenville Tavern at the corner of Amboy Road and Main Street is a family-friendly place where you can set a spell. Sometimes, tourists will show up after having ridden the Staten Island Railway from St. George to the end of the line. It’s true. I’ve seen them.

South Fin in South Beach is fabulous when the weather is warm and you can sit on the deck, breathe in the sea breezes and enjoy a bite.

Not to mention all our wonderful pizzerias — everything from Lee’s in Dongan Hills to Joe & Pat’s in Castleton Corners. There are so many others, I can’t list them all.

Rather than dart in for a quick slice or pick up a pie to go, sit down, relax and let lunch turn into a focal point of the day, rather than something that gets sandwiched (pun intended) in between errands and some grander evening plan.

Winter is actually such a lovely time to get out; everything slows down. Pick a day and try it; then feel free to share with us what you liked — or didn’t like — about your lunch. And if you’re already a fan of a weekend lunch out, tell us your favorite place.

Four course or a burger; with beer or wine or without — no matter how you experience it, you’ll find conversation will flow and that means there will be plenty to chew on.

You can post a comment to this column on SILive.com; call me at 718-816-8350 or email hack@siadvance.com. Thanks to all of you who do just that. I love to hear from you.